_________________Say, can you feel the thunder in the air? Just like the moment ’fore it hits – then it’s everywhereWhat is this spell we’re under, do you care? The might to rise above it is now within your sphereMachinae Supremacy – Sid Icarus

Masten really are going well with those flights. I wonder what AA are up to (apart from the sounding rockets) they did have a lead here, I wonder if they still do. I know JohnC is very busy elsewhere - maybe they don't have the software skills without him to continue flights at present with the VTVL stuff?

I think that they've got the VTVL stuff down pretty well by now, so what would any new flights add? The problem is, what's the business case for low-level VTVL flights? Getting to altitudes high enough for significant amounts of microgravity is where the money's at, either for science payloads or for tourists. So what they need is experience (technical and regulation-wise) in getting up there beyond the 100 km mark.

They've got the GNC for vertical landing down pat, but it does cost extra fuel and is more risky. Science payloads don't require vertical landing, so they can make some money and gain experience at high altitude flying by doing a more conventional sounding rocket with parachute recovery first. Once they've got that working reliably, they can cluster a few of them to get enough performance to get a person up there, and do a cool (and comfortable) vertical landing.

Other thought: the NASA guys who recently crashed their Armadillo-built lander test vehicle mentioned that a new one is already being built. Maybe AA is busy on that as well?

_________________Say, can you feel the thunder in the air? Just like the moment ’fore it hits – then it’s everywhereWhat is this spell we’re under, do you care? The might to rise above it is now within your sphereMachinae Supremacy – Sid Icarus

At Newspace 2012 hosted by the Space Frontier Foundation in Santa Clara CA, Dr. George Nield, Associate Administrator for the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, presented Neil Milburn, Armadillo Aerospace's VP of Program Management,with an Operator Launch License for their STIG (Suborbital Transport with Inertial Guidance) class of reusable suborbital launch vehicles. This is Armadillo Aerospace's first launch license although they have already received three launch permits for their lunar lander class vehicles.

"The Operator Launch License enables Armadillo Aerospace to launch payloads for revenue service" said Milburn. "The inaugural flight of STIG B scheduled for this summer is carrying two revenue payloads, one for Vega Space and the other for the University of Purdue, and, if successful, this will qualify the STIG vehicles for NASA's Flight Opportunities Program." The inaugural flight is slated to take the payloads to greater than 100-km (62-miles) which is classified as the boundary for space. In doing so it will enable the payload providers to experience nearly three minutes of micro-G environment.

The launch will take place from Spaceport America in New Mexico and will be the first licensed launch from the Spaceport although Armadillo Aerospace has launched four earlier flights under the FAA's Class III waiver regime. The last of these flights with STIG A reached 95-km setting the stage for the space capable STIG B vehicles.

Milburn complimented Dr. Nield on AST's performance in processing the license application. "Allowed 180-days by law, the review team at AST granted the license in just 63-days, setting a new record" said Milburn. "This successfully exemplifies AST's dual role of ensuring public safety but at the same time promoting the commercial launch industry."

Armadillo Aerospace LLC is a privately owned company founded by computer gaming industry icon John Carmack and his wife Anna. They are dedicated to providing low cost access to space for both scientific payloads and space tourists. http://www.armadilloaerospace.com

Indeed! Wonder how high they got? But really the important thing is that the vehicle is intact. It would have cost a lot of time and money to make a new one, and with the slowed pace at Armadillo...So that's very good. Now let's see them fix it and fly again soon .

_________________Say, can you feel the thunder in the air? Just like the moment ’fore it hits – then it’s everywhereWhat is this spell we’re under, do you care? The might to rise above it is now within your sphereMachinae Supremacy – Sid Icarus

Indeed! Wonder how high they got? But really the important thing is that the vehicle is intact. It would have cost a lot of time and money to make a new one, and with the slowed pace at Armadillo...So that's very good. Now let's see them fix it and fly again soon .

The real expense would have come from busting the limits. Armadillo has probably spent more time and creativity in getting permits than actually building rockets -- it's just the way that the game has to be played at that level. It's spectacular to see that the abort system worked! Congratulations to the team!